The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher
It was one of the warmest days yet this year as temperatures reached into the nineties in Henderson County but a packed crowd of senior citizens and residents waited over an hour in the back of a small Senior Citizens building in Oquawka.
Despite the warmth due to a struggling air conditioner, they sat anxiously waiting to hear what the Governor was going to say to help senior citizens.
Fifty chairs in the room with other chairs scattered throughout the two room building on Schuyler Street were all occupied with others standing, 100-150 people in all.
At 3:00 p.m., a van full of state press officials and a large touring bus and arrived with the Governor, his wife Patti, a Real Estate Agent, and their two girls, Amy-6 and Annie- 2 months.
The Sheriff's Department and Auxiliary Police were on hand to greet Rod Blagojevich (D), the first term governor for the State of Illinois accompanied by first term Senator John Sullivan (D) of Rushville.
Senator Sullivan said it was great to be back since last here in September on his campaign trail and he was proud to be among the people he was working for.
He commended the Governor for keeping his campaign promises in helping with prescription drugs, helping in the farming districts, and helping increase education over $6 million in Illinois.
He then turned the podium over to the Chair of the County Board Marion Brown.
Brown introduced the Governor saying, "We finally got a governor that's got enough guts that's going to come and help us senior citizens."
Governor Blagojevich (pronounced BLA-GOYA-VICH) began by asking if there were any seniors citizens there. "I'm shocked, you all look so young," he teased.
Blagojevich came to the county to talk of a new state initiative he says will reduce prescription drug costs for seniors and the disabled up to 30 percent the first of the year.
"Far too long, we have lived in a state that has failed to act to lower the cost of prescription drugs," said Gov. Blagojevich. "This issue is more than a question of dollars and cents. It's a question of our values."
"Our seniors...should spend the autumn of their lives - retired and secure - and not being forced to choose between paying for their food and paying for their medicine. ...For years, they have been confronted with that choice. Until now."
Seniors make up about 13 percent of the state's population-nearly one in five-but they account for 42 percent of all prescription drug benefits, he said. "Providing a prescription drug benefit has and always should be the responsibility of the federal Medicare program. ...In the absence of federal help, we can no longer look the other way."
He feels by leveraging the buying power of 1.5 million senior citizens eligible for the program and the $1.8 billion a year the state spends buying drugs for various programs they can negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices.
As part of the legislation signed by Blagojevich last week, Ill. residents 65 and older, or disabled can join a state-run club for $25 a year that will allow them to present a membership card at participating pharmacies to receive state- negotiated medicine discounts averaging 20 percent to 30 percent.
Several voiced skepticism afterwards. One who wished to remain anonymous said WIAA was cut in the 11 county area losing $173,000 for programs for seniors which have been shifted upstate. "Illinois has had the best prescription drugs in the country. One of the best programs for seniors was the Circuit Breaker put in place by Governor Edgar. Because of it, the Federal Government used Illinois as a test site for the Senior Care program," she said. "20% off on an expensive drug, will not help seniors afford it any more than they can now. Many have to do without."
Seniors wait for Governor Blagojevich
Harold "Huck" Lumbeck (left) Richard Slover (right) meet Governor Rod Blagojevich